The guiding star on the horizon
by Pat83
Summary: The period of serenity ends and as the things in the prison go south, the group has to face a difficult decision, which will affect everything they believe in. Carol & Daryl focused.
1. Balance

Daryl knew that the good days were not going to last forever. They never did. The last couple of months had passed in relative serenity. Woodbury folks had settled in and with combined effort they'd managed to turn the prison and contiguous demesne into quite plausible place to live. They had organized little school for young children, they were growing their own crops and they even managed to breed couple of farm animals. Medical care has improved with the arrival of army medical doctor Bob Stookey, who'd started passing his knowledge onto Hershel and Carol. They'd improved their defenses, reinforced the fencing and had more people taking watch, but there were less and less walkers to take care of. The runs for supplies were more frequent and better organized so they hardly ever suffered of shortage of any kind nowadays.

The prison had turned into busy beehive, gurgling with children's laughter. People had started opening again, spending their time with the others, sitting together in the common room, talking and sharing their life stories. Younger folks had begun dating hesitantly and it didn't take long before some of them were planning on getting married. Hell, two couples were already expecting. He still considered bringing a child into this screwed world reckless and crazy thing to do, but he kept his mouth shut as one the couples were Glenn with Maggie. He couldn't help smirking when he'd been watching young Asian hovering and fretting over his pregnant wife. They were his family and if they'd decided to go with it, he would respect it. Considering the given conditions, the living had become as normal as it could have and the life was slowly fighting its way through the dawn of apocalypse.

Daryl frowned as he was watching young children frolicking below the guard tower. What if he was wrong and decrease in walker numbers really meant that the apocalypse was heading towards its end?

Where would be his place when all this shit ended? Where would he go and what would he do when people started rebuilding the old world with their nice white picket fences, happy families and living their respectable lives? Daryl knew he wouldn't go back being the same redneck asshole he'd used to be with Merle, but he didn't see himself fitting into the provincial lifestyle either.

Would he be alone again? Or would Carol stick with him as she always had so far, no matter how moody or skittish he'd been? They had grown closer over the last eight months and he found himself really enjoying having the best friend. He liked the way she always found his eyes when he came back from the run or hunting, unspoken message that everything had gone well exchanged between them. He made sure he was always on watch if she was the one on the run, ensuring she was all right as soon as he opened the gates for them. He felt flattered when she gave him one of those smiles he knew she'd reserved only for him.

And he was damn proud of her fighting skills. He could hardly believe the she was the same woman he'd met at the quarry. She still looked fragile from the outside but he'd noticed how muscular and firmer her body had become from all those endless hours she'd been practicing with the knives or guns. Bowie knife and machete had become her favorite weapons and she could be lethal with them if needed. No longer she flinched when she buried the knife into the rotten skull to the hilt and she'd also become very good shot. When she'd asked him what he'd thought if she'd started teaching older kids with knives, he'd just stared at her agape before nodding.

The doubts about this way of life, sharing his life with other people, had left Daryl long time alone. He'd even admitted to his brother that he couldn't have done things without people anymore and Merle had died to give him this chance. Daryl wasn't going to waste it.

He smirked when he noticed the woman, occupying his mind, walking towards the guard tower with two steaming cups of coffee. Although Carol had been busier than ever before, teaching the kids, who adored her, so there were still couple of them hanging around her, still helping in the kitchen if needed, looking after Lil'Asskicker, who was growing like a weed and learning the medical skills from Bob, she always managed to find some time just for two of them.

She smiled up at him before stopping to exchange a few words with Dan, father of one the kids she'd been teaching, shy teenager Wesley. Daryl's mood had shifted. He'd seen other men watching her and every time he'd caught one of those looks, his chest tightened. He knew that one day she would give in, she would stop hovering over distant and moody Dixon, and she would take up one of those offers. He would stay alone again. This creeping thought sometimes kept him awake at night, when the prison was quiet and he'd been listening to her shifting on the bed in the cell next to his.

Soft knock interrupted his thoughts and he turned to the door with smile tugging his lips.

"Shouldn't someone release you from the watch already?" Carol asked, handing him the steaming mug, which he'd accepted gratefully mumbling his thanks.

"Yeah, Glenn but Maggie ain't feelin' well today so he said he was gonna find somebody else to take his watch but guess he forgot," Daryl shrugged.

Carol rolled her eyes: "I swear it seems sometimes that it's Glenn pregnant, not Maggie."

She stood up and went to the door.

"I'll find somebody to release you, you deserve some rest as well Daryl."

He knew what she meant. Rick was still an unofficial leader but he'd started spending more time with Judith and Carl and people naturally started turning to his right hand man Daryl with their problems, worries or ideas, expecting him to tell them what to do. Daryl didn't really mind but when being in prison, he hardly found some time when he wasn't being bugged. He'd asked Tyreese to be the spokesman for Woodbury people and him, Daryl, Hershel, Michonne and Rick were trying to set up some kind of democracy in their growing group. It didn't always worked, some requests had to been forced by their original group, but they were slowly getting there, learning how to cooperate rather than dispute.

Daryl reached out and grabbed Carol's wrist. He no longer flinched when somebody touched him and the first person he'd started losing his barriers around, was Carol.

"It can wait till we finish the coffee."

She smiled and sat down on the chair in front of him and he was leaning against the table.

"What's wrong Daryl?" Carol asked when she looked up at him, her eyes suddenly serious.

Daryl sighed. Damn woman always had a knack of seeing right through him, there was no point in lying to her.

"Just afraid that this quiet ain't gonna last long," he said thoughtfully, "something's in the air, I can just feel it."

She thought about his words and when she opened her mouth to answer, a high pitched terrified scream suddenly cut the air. Carol went pale, jumped to her feet and headed to the door. Daryl was right behind her, loading his crossbow while they ran down the stairs. When they opened the door leading to the yard, Daryl grabbed Carol's arm and stopped her before she could start sprinting toward the prison.

"Stay behind me and don't do anything stupid, OK? I've got a fuckin' bad feeling."

* * *

_**I apologize if it was a bit boring, I needed to set up the scene, next chapter will be hopefully a bit more angsty! Please review and Caryl on!:)**_


	2. Changes in the wind

It was the smell that hit them first. The thick copper smell of blood, bodies torn apart, the stench of death they so desperately tried to rub off their skin after every run. The next thing was the sound, which filled their ears. Terrified screams, loud sobbing and growling, which they would recognize everywhere. Walkers were inside the prison, ready to feast on panic-stricken children and old people.

Daryl got his bearings quickly, leaping toward the stairs, where cluster of human tangled limbs and loud cries seemed to be centered.

"Outside! Everybody run outside!" Rick's strong voice reverberated the prison walls and Carol had hardly time to jump aside as two Woodbury women, clutching their children to their chests, rushed past her. She cowered instinctively when the gunshot roared, for a short moment deafening them all. She ran to the cell they used as an armory and found it open. She grabbed a hand gun, tugged it behind her belt and took a rifle. When she turned, she saw Maggie about twenty feet away on her left, wildly searching the perch above her head.

"Maggie, what are you still doing here?" she shouted at younger woman, running to her, "get out of here!"

Maggie spun on her heel, her face lurid and pointed toward the perch.

"Glenn…he ran upstairs…but I can't see him…I can't see him!"

Carol grabbed both her arms and shook her.

"Glenn will be all right Maggie! You need to protect your child! Go outside!"

Maggie's hands immediately shot to her swelling belly and she covered it protectively, nodding.

"Go! I'll back you up!" Carol ushered younger woman to the door, "try to find Michonne, I can't see her and we need her here!"

For a moment, Carol stood lost in the middle of overwhelming chaos, trying to get her bearings. She saw that most of the prison inhabitants had already left the prison and she sighed in relief. When she heard a groan behind her, she didn't hesitate, turned sharply, taking out her knife at the same time and buried it to the hilt into the walker's brain. When the dead mass collapsed at her feet, she saw Carl, aiming his gun at the head of the walker she'd just killed.

"That was close," he choked, "good I'm a good shot."

Carol let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Where's Judith?"

"Beth took her outside together with Hershel."

As soon as Judith's name passed her lips, Carol's eyes widened in horror.

"Nursery! Have you checked the nursery?" she yelled just before another shot thundered inside the prison.

Tyreese, who was leading two elderly people outside, stopped dead in his tracks and turned to her, his terrified expression giving her the answer she was dreading the most. They hadn't checked the nursery. The nursery had been set up a bit further away from the living area to make sure that children's romping and hollering wouldn't disturb old people who needed more rest. But when the panic had burst out, nobody had remembered to check it.

Without second look Carol darted down the corridor leading to the nursery, Tyreese hot on her heels. They heard the groans before they reached the entrance and Carol's pace faltered as she was preparing herself for the nightmarish display she was going to see in a minute. But even the whole time in the world couldn't prepare her for the scene in front of her. Big male walker, in whom she recognized Patrick, easy-going and always smiley man from Woodbury, was gnawing at the thin arm of young boy, who'd just started reanimating, soft groans coming out of his mutilated pale lips. She recognized Danny, young introvert boy and bookworm, who'd hated every single exercise with weapons he'd had to endure.

Carol covered her mouth to fight the nausea and staggered back, colliding with Tyreese, who was frozen to the spot, watching the scene unfolding in front of them. She heard his gun clinking against the cold concrete floor and when Danny bolted upright and looked at her with his milky unseeing eyes, it was all Carol could take. She heaved, bent over sharply and emptied the content of her stomach on the floor. She wiped her mouth and straightened up just in time to see that Tyreese put himself together, grabbed his gun from the floor and shot the male walker. But when Danny growled, baring greyish gums, and started reeling forward, Tyreese let his arm with gun fall, watching in shock a ten year old, who he'd played with just yesterday.

"Tyreese…," Carol croaked but he didn't seem to be paying any attention to her. She released the safety catch on her hand gun and aimed at Danny's head. Her hand was quivering badly when she pulled the trigger, blowing Danny's brains all over the wall. Carol sank to her knees beside the boy's dead body, sobbing.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry…," she was whispering her apologies like a breathless mantra, when hardly audible mewling sound from the corridor caught her attention. She sprung up to her feet and ran outside the door. She knew that voice.

"Jessie? Jessie, where are you?" she whispered urgently, not wanting to attract walkers, if there were more hiding in the dark secluded places of the corridor.

Whimpering got louder but she still couldn't see anything. Carol continued into the dark corridor slowly, clutching her gun tightly.

"Jessie, honey, where are you? It's me, Carol, come out so I can see you."

Suddenly from the corner of her eye Carol spotted a quick movement and in the next moment tiny arms and legs wrapped around her torso tightly. Carol sighed in relief and tried to shift the child so she could carry her. The girl was paralyzed with fear and buried her blond head in Carol's chest, sobbing loudly, clutching Carol's body to the point it nearly hurt.

Carol tried to soothe her and she was relieved, when she felt Tyresse's large hand on her shoulder.

"Is she all right?"

"I think so," Carol nodded, "she's in shock."

"Do you want me to carry her?" Tyreese offered.

Carol shook her head, finally adjusting child in her arms so she could walk.

"Lead the way and watch out for walkers."

They were almost at the entrance back to the common room when they heard clear woman's scream and Tyresee took in a sharp intake of breath. He would have recognized this voice everywhere. His sister. Carol quickly nodded when he bolted towards the source of sound. Carol quickly glanced around, wrapped her arms around Jessie protectively and rushed to the door.

She was almost reaching for the handle, when something wrapped around her ankle. She gasped and tried to maintain her footing but when something holding her ankle yanked, she tumbled to the floor with a frustrated groan. She tried to shift Jessie in her arms to soften girl's fall and fell hard on her back, winding herself in process.

When Jessie's shrilling scream pierced her ears, she turned her head to the side to see the cause of her tumble. If she could breath properly, she would have screamed as well, because her face was just inches from the stinking walker's face. He must have been lying on the floor and grabbed her ankle when she'd been running past him. Carol hissed in pain as she tried to move away. Her body immediately started protesting and her head was spinning from the lack of air. She closed her eyes to gather the last remnants of her strength, when fresh walker's blood sprayed over her face. Then screaming Jessie was hauled out of her arms and in the next moment she was standing on her feet, arm of very angry Daryl Dixon firmly wrapped around her waist as he was pushing them all toward the door.

He didn't stop until they were in safe distance from the door, when he let her go and put Jessie down. The girl immediately wrapped her arms around Carol again, hiding her weepy face into her chest.

Daryl looked down at her angrily.

"What exactly ya didn't understand about 'don't do anythin' stupid'?!"

Carol was suddenly tired beyond words. The attack inside the prison, seeing Patrick feeding on Danny and then putting him down, finding Jessie and almost getting killed just a few feet from the safety, this all was getting better of her.

"Stop yelling at me Daryl," she hissed, her fury equaling with his, "you didn't check the nursery! There were still kids!"

Daryl was taken aback a bit and she could see a guilt quickly flashing in his eyes, but he was still mad.

"Ya could have shout for me, damnit!" he lashed out again, causing Jessie to shudder in Carol's arms and gave out a loud whining cry. Carol shot him an angry look.

Daryl stepped back, guilt now clearly written in his face.

"Stay here, we gotta clear the cell block," he mumbled before turning and heading back to the prison.

* * *

They'd lost twelve people that day. One of the Woodbury man, father of one teenager, had passed in his sleep and after reanimating bit his wife and kid. The panic had burst out quickly. One of the old man had grabbed a rifle and started firing wildly, killing three people. Next six people including three kids had been bit, before Rick and his group had managed to put the walkers down.

Hardly anybody spoke that evening. Men were outside, digging the graves and the rest was inside trying to scrub the bloody stains off the floor. Then they all quickly disappeared into their cells, more than happy to follow Rick and Daryl's order to close the bars behind them tonight.

Carol was just about to change into her sleeping top and pants when she heard a soft knock on the bars of her cell. She glanced at Jessie, sleeping on the top bunk and tugged her blanket under the chin. The girl had a granny in the prison but insisted on sleeping with Carol tonight. She drew aside the thick blanket covering the entrance of her cell and saw Daryl, nervously kicking the brim of the wall. She was still a bit upset with him, but when she saw his worn out expression ad dark bags under his eyes, she would have to have a heart of stone to give him more hard time. She opened the cell bars and quietly invited him in.

His eyes immediately landed on the tiny form curled under the blanket on the top bunk.

"Did I scare her?" he whispered, afraid not to wake the sleeping child.

"No more than usual," she smirked lightly and Daryl frowned back at her. She didn't seem to be mad at him and it was a great relief after he'd behaved like an asshole again.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, dropping his eyes to his boots, "shouldn't have yelled at ya. Ya were scared and ya did really good job with that kid."

Getting an apology from Daryl Dixon was still quite a rare thing to witness, but Carol had learnt to appreciate it very quickly.

"It's OK Daryl. We were all stressed out. What happened is just…"

The words failed her, not being able to grasp the terror of last couple of hours. Carol stopped in the middle of her sentence and felt her eyes swelling with tears. She swallowed a lump in her throat and shook her head. They would talk about it soon, but not tonight. Tonight they needed a good rest.

Daryl saw her distress and wanted to comfort her, wanted to ensure her that everything would be all right. But he didn't have a strenght to say loud the words he started doubting himself. He decided to continue his apology instead.

"I just snapped…ya are a fuckin' magnet for disasters woman, I can't…."

He weighted his next words carefully.

_'I can't bear the thought of losin' you, of not seein' ya every goddamn day, of not seein' yer eyes, when ya search mine across the room. I don't know what I would do if it was your grave I was digging today.'_

He angrily shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was really tired and needed to get some proper sleep, otherwise he would turn into one whining pussy.

"I can't allow anythin' happened to ya… ya are a great asset to the group. And we would all die of hunger unless Beth learns how to cook."

Daryl mumbled, turned and left, not casting a second look at Carol.

Carol stood there for a while, tinkling warmth spreading throughout her body.


	3. Decision

Morning found prison group in somber mood. The shock and panic subsided just to be replaced by creeping fear and unsettling uncertainty. People reluctantly started their everyday tasks, stealthily glancing at Rick and Daryl, waiting for their leaders to explain what had happened yesterday and ensure them the prison was still safe.

Daryl hated this meaningful silence and furtive looks he was getting. He knew people needed to hear something comforting but he hoped Rick would take care of it. He hadn't been able to tell anything encouraging even to Carol last night and he had no damn clue what he would be telling others. But Rick was good with words, Rick was a true leader and Daryl was a henchman, no matter what Carol or the others told him.

Daryl walked outside and leaned against the wall, watching twelve freshly dug out graves with a frown. Hershel was going to hold a funeral ceremony at noon and then there would be a time to decide what to do next.

The door into the prison opened again and bunch of kids ran outside with footballs in their arms. He sighed in relief when the last person to appear was Carol. He knew somebody was always watching the kids playing outside and he really wasn't in mood for chit chat with anybody.

But Carol was…Carol. She was definitely capable of pissing him off, but often he was forced to admit that he'd been the one starting the argument or admitting that she was right. So if there was anybody competent to talk to Dixon in such state of mind, it was her.

He still wasn't quite comfortable with admitting his own mistakes and there were days he missed the cocky attitude they'd adopted with Merle, when he hadn't had to take care of anybody but himself. But the thoughts and memories of his old life invaded his mind less and less. He was no longer ashamed to admit that he liked being around people, at least around 'his people'. He liked being useful and he sure as hell liked being looked up to. He knew he wasn't any fucking hero but he could finally fully accept his part of asset to the group and was happy that others acknowledged it too.

He smirked at the tiny woman, who leaned against the wall next to him and folded her arms on her chest. Most of it had been her accomplishment. She'd been relentless in her effort to make him see a better part of him and had opened the door to the life he hadn't even known he'd wanted to live.

Carol sensed his intense gaze and just raised her eyebrow, taking a chocolate bar out of her pocket and handing it to him.

Daryl's eyes sparkled as he snatched it from her, unwrapped it hastily and immediately took a big bite mumbling his thanks. Carol just looked at him amused. Who would have thought that Daryl Dixon had a sweet tooth?

"You left the breakfast too early, everybody got one after meal. I thought we could all use something nice after yesterday," she sighed.

Daryl was inspecting her closely. It would never stop him amaze how emphatic and caring this woman was. While he'd spent his morning pondering how to duck out of public speech, she'd been planning how to improve everybody's mood after yesterday's massacre.

"Good idea," was all he said and leaned back against the wall, content with her closeness as they were watching the kids in comfortable silent.

He watched as Jessie raised her hand and waved at Carol.

"She ain't Sophia, ya know that right?" he asked quietly.

She turned to him slowly and Daryl was taken aback by her tenacious expression.

"No, she isn't Sophia," she took her time to pronounce each word clearly, "my Sophia died, because I was weak. I didn't prepare her for the outside world and we both paid the highest price."

Daryl opened his mouth to protest but shut it quickly as she raised her hand.

"I'm not complaining Daryl. And I surely don't need your sympathy. I'm just stating the facts. I was her mother, I should have kept my eye on her, exactly as you said back on the farm. _I am _responsible for what happened to my child."

Carol glanced at Jessie, who was squealing as two older boys were chasing her.

"And I'll do anything what's in my power to prevent it from happening again," she finished and pressed her lips into firm line.

Daryl ducked his head. He knew that once Carol dug her heels in, nothing was going to stop her. He followed her line of sight towards tiny blonde girl. He guessed he had another little person to add to his personal list of extra protection.

They fell quiet again but the comfortable feeling they'd shared a moment ago was gone. Daryl hated the thought that Carol had accepted the whole blame for Sophia's death and a wave of shame washed over him again as he'd remembered yelling at her the farm.

He didn't quite know what to say but he knew he should say something.

"Look, you ain't..."

Daryl was staring at his boots, struggling to find the right words. When he thought he'd finally figured it out and cleared his throat, she didn't let him finish the sentence.

"Oh my god! Daryl look!" she grabbed him arm and Daryl hissed as she sank her nails into his biceps. But when he followed her pointed hand, his blood froze in his veins.

Daryl watched the scene unfolding in front of them in disbelief. Out of the blue the herd of walkers gathered outside the fence and started throwing themselves against one spot over and over again.

"Fuck...they seem to be organized!" he growled, "the fuckers seem to know what they are doin'!"

Older children knew the drill and they were now running in opposite direction along the fence, roaring from the top their lungs, trying to attract the walkers and spread them out. But unlike the other days, when this method had worked perfectly well, only a few biters followed the children now, the others continuously crashing against the fence.

Carol acted on instinct and darted out towards the young children, who started running in panic back to prison. But Daryl was quicker. His hand grasped her arm in a vice grip, yanking her back.

"What the hell woman?! I'll get the kids, ya ran back to prison and get everybody who's able to hold the knife, do ya understand?"

Carol blinked and looked up at him. This was Daryl she didn't see too often. Unquestionable leader, firm and logical, Daryl who'd left the reclusive and taciturn hunter behind, Daryl who'd saved Rick's newborn daughter when grief and unspoken blame had broken the sheriff down. This was Daryl she surely was not going to bargain with.

* * *

They'd fended off the attack and managed to keep the fence up. They'd repulsed another one later that day and four other during the following week. In two weeks they'd lost their new garden in the backyard of the prison, which they'd cleared quite recently. They hadn't had enough people to double the watches at the back of the prison and as the hordes of walkers started lunging against the fence, they'd had no other chance than give up their piece of land and strengthen the fence between them and the walkers.

It was at the end of second week of severe walkers' attacks when Rick called a big meeting into the common dining area. He looked around at the sea of weary faces and sighed.

"I'm not going to hold you for long people. You all see that something is happening to the walkers outside. They are focused on the prison and they've seemed to adopt some kind of primitive instincts. We have been successful in defending the prison so far but it's only a matter of time before we get outnumbered and will be overrun."

He fell silent, letting his words sink in.

"We have to leave the prison."

No one moved, only one of the old ladies started sniffling, but was quickly rebuked by her friend sitting next to her. Rick's announcement didn't come as surprise. Most of them had been outside, defending the prison and they were full aware of the threat walkers represented.

"We've got two options though and need to agree on this," Rick paused again and glanced at Daryl, who didn't bother to hide his surprise. Of course he knew about Rick's decision to leave the prison and agreed with it, but he hadn't told him anything about two options. Daryl tilted his head and waited for Rick's next words impatiently.

Rick shifted uncomfortably; suddenly uncertain that not sharing his thoughts with Daryl in advance had been such a good idea. Hershel's expression matched Daryl's and Rick wearily pinched the bridge of his nose.

"We can either leave the prison all together," Rick looked around, "or we can send out smaller group to try to find a new place and come back and get us when they do."

Daryl's eyes unintentionally strayed towards Carol across the room to be met with her startled look. They both knew he would be in the scouting party, should they agree on the second option.

"Daryl?" Rick's spur to express his opinion first caught him unprepared. Daryl straightened up and looked into his friend's face firmly.

"There ain't better option, both can go south pretty quickly," Daryl started picking at his nail but stopped quickly when he realized dozens of eyes on him, "we've got over forty people now, we gotta take the bus and all the cars and we gonna be like fuckin' walker's fast-food on wheels."

Although he wasn't looking directly at her, he felt Carol gasp and bore her eyes into him.

"But if we send out the group…and it gotta be strong fighters….it ain't gonna take just days, it could be weeks and even months until we find somethin' where we could all stay. Hell, we might find nothin' at all," Daryl continued gloomily, "and the prison ain't gonna last that long."

Daryl finished and his eyes roved around the room.

"I say we hit the road. All of us. It's gonna be hell but I don't wanna come back to find the prison overrun."

He saw Hershel, Tyreese and Sasha, Glenn and Maggie nod and Carol relaxed. Rick was considering his words for a moment, looking around the room before nodding his head too.

"I agree, let's vote."

When Rick counted the votes, it was clear that the decision had been made. Only few people had voted to stay in the unsafe prison, the vast majority decided to try their luck on the road.

"OK. We need time to prepare and pack everything. We will leave in a week from today. We'll stay out of big cities, they will be overrun. We'll try small towns, abandoned hotels and holiday resorts. Sooner or later we will find something. There must be other survivors like us. There must be a hope."

* * *

The prison was dark and quiet now; everybody was trying to get some rest after exhausting day. Daryl tossed and turned on his bunk until he gave up, scrambled to his feet with a sigh and took his crossbow. He hoped that a short walk would help him to fall asleep; he knew he needed every bit of strength he could muster. He walked out of his cell and his eyes automatically darted to Carol's cell. He raised his eyebrow when he saw flickering light of her oil lamp still on.

He knocked softly before entering and although it hadn't taken more than a second, his trained hunter's eyes didn't miss that she'd wiped her eyes quickly and turned away from the door slightly.

"Hey," he whispered, his eyes wandering around her cell, "slowly packing?"

Carol shook her head.

"Just thinking what is necessary to take with us. What about you?"

Daryl shrugged.

"Can't be bothered. Will take me twenty seconds to throw all mu stuff in the backpack."

Daryl could say how hard she was trying to make her voice sound normal. This was a great difference between the haunted woman she'd used to be back at the quarry and the person she was now. Old Carol had worn her emotions on the sleeve but this new capable woman she'd turned into, preferred the privacy of her cell to lick her wounds. Daryl hated it. When he got mad, he could disappear into the woods or lash out at somebody, but at least everybody could tell he was pissed.

But you could never say with Carol. She'd have disappeared in her cell for an hour or so and the person who'd have emerged was again that caring, smiley and friendly woman she'd always been. Daryl didn't like that she kept everything inside but every time he raised the topic she just brushed it off laughing. But he wasn't going to buy it this time.

"Why are ya cryin'?"

He could see her shoulders tensed but she shook her head.

"I'm not crying," Carol tried but knew immediately how pathetic it sounded.

"Yeah, sure, "Daryl snorted, "could hear ya snifflin' across the hall."

She looked at him offended and Daryl wished he could kick his own ass. He'd just blurted out the first thing that had come to his mind, no matter how stupid it'd been.

Carol sighed and finally turned to him fully, no longer hiding puffed and red-rimmed eyes. He suddenly felt a panic rising in his throat, paralyzing fear that something serious had happened, something he'd neglected, something he'd missed.

"How come it's so easy for you to leave the prison? Everything we've built up, everything we've spilled the blood for?" she finally asked, her voice more of a whisper now.

Daryl let out a breath and closed his eyes for a second, flooded with relief. She hadn't got bit or scratched or hurt, she was alright, Carol was alright.

Daryl shrugged, not really knowing an answer to her question and accepted her silent invitation as she moved on her bed to let him sit next to her.

„Guess, I never really cared 'bout anythin' or anybody save Merle...," he started chewing on his thumb thoughtfully, „... so I didn't mind movin' all the time."

„Oh," she accepted his explanation and stared on her hands folded in her lap. He didn't have to say anything else, she understood. It'd been always Merle and him. Now he was standing alone, but nothing had changed. She'd been naive to think that the prison or its inhabitants could mean something more to him than another stop on his journey.

Daryl sensed the shift in her mood and he frowned, nudging her with his shoulder.

„Hey...I pretty much sucked at school, but I said 'cared'...fuckin' past tense."

She lifted her head and he could finally see a genuine smile tugging at her lips.

Daryl felt the tips of his ears burning with shame. He hated talking about his feelings, but if it was going to cheer Carol up, he was occasionally willing to suck it up. He was surprised having to admit that it hurt a bit to find out that she still wasn't sure he was past that cold ruthless asshole he'd been sometimes back at the quarry.

"We are gonna find somethin' else...better and safer," he wasn't any good in comforting, but judging from Carol's reaction he was doing just fine.

She gave him a full smile now, all signs of distress disappearing as she moved back on the bed and propped her back against the wall. He followed her example and they were quiet for a while. Daryl knew that he should have let her sleep, but he still felt fresh and Carol was not kicking him out of her cell either.

"You know, I really thought that this could be it. That the prison could be our home, where we could lead somehow comfortable life and wait until this walker thing sweep through, " Carol sighed.

Daryl scratched his scruff and nodded.

"To be honest I did too. But somethin' off is hapennin' with those fucker and we'd better be somewhere safe when this fucked up evolution reaches its peak."

Carol stared at the wall in front of her.

"No matter what we do, no matter how hard we try, we are still losing people...I guess I'm just getting tired."

Daryl knew exactly how she felt. Their everyday struggle was exhausting, they were taking in new people and they were up from dusk to dawn, working hard to keep the community run smoothly. And still, the only reward they'd got were twelve freshly dug up graves and cranky grumbling from some of their inmates. Daryl was always quick to set the moaners straight but he knew that Carol was more polite and as they were usually older people she usually kept quiet and she took their complaining more personally.

"Hey...," he softly kicked her shoe dangling over the edge with his boot to get her attention, „we are still doin' fine, _our_ family ain't lost anybody from T-Dog and Lori...and Andrea and Merle...we're doin' fine and we are doin' damn good job keepin' the prison secure."

He knew he might have sounded a bit selfish, he'd surely cared for the newcomers, but he doubted they would get under his skin the way his original group had.

He felt her shiver and shook his head in disagreement, reaching for the blanket he felt crumpled behind his back.

„Ya should get some sleep, ya gonna be dead on your feet tomorrow," Daryl said and spread the blanket over her body.

She smiled drowsily. The combination of warm blanket, Daryl's reassuring words and his closeness hit her full force and she found herself falling asleep quickly.

Daryl smirked as her head suddenly rolled and landed on his shoulder but she didn't even flinch in her deep sleep. He was surprised how good it felt to have her body leaning against his and he enjoyed this feeling for a short moment before he carefully got off the bunk and laid her into the bed gently. She frowned from her sleep at the loss of his body heat but relaxed quickly as Daryl tucked the blanket tightly around her fragile form. Before he knew what he was doing, he ran his thumb along her cheek gently.

He was hovering over her sleeping form for a while when he heard unmistakable sound of bare feet hitting cold cement prison floor. They were approaching Carol's cell. Daryl frowned and grabbed his crossbow he'd leaned against the doorway. The steps seemed to be speeding up and Daryl knit his eyebrows in confusion lowering the crossbow. The soft sound reaching his ears reminded him of some small animal and was too hesitant to possess any threat.

The next moment, Jessie's pale face emerged around the curtain covering the doorway and little girl clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle her scream when she nearly bumped into the hunter. Her eyes darted to Carol and then back to Daryl and she took a steadying step back.

"What the hell are ya doin' here kid?" Daryl whispered and raised his eyebrow.

Jessie's face crumpled and Daryl was instantly terrified she would start wailing and he would be blamed for waking half of the prison. But instead, the little girl regained her composure and pursed her lips.

"What are _you_ doing in Ms. Carol's cell Mr. Daryl?"

Despite his best efforts, Daryl chuckled.

„Sassy woman with sassy kid on top...fuckin' hilarious combination," he shook his head and nodded toward Carol's bed.

„She's just fallen asleep and needs some good rest kid. What about ya go to your bed now and come back first thing in the mornin'? Daryl suggested but one look on girl's face told him that _now_ he was in for a good wail.

„OK," he raised his hands in defeat and stepped aside to allow Jessie sneak around him. He watched as kid slipped into bed with Carol and curled up against her. Carol automatically wrapped her arms around her and smiled softly from her sleep. Daryl hesitated and then approached the bed again, readjusting the blanket over both of them.

„Don't wriggle kid, she really needs some sleep."

He smirked when Jessie rewarded him with sleepy happy smile. He shook his head and quietly walked out of Carol's cell.

The truth came to him at the crack of dawn, when his cell deluged with soft red-ting light. He knew he would do everything possible to keep safe the woman and little girl sleeping a few cells away.


End file.
